Dragons of a Shadowed Dusk
by FromtheDark
Summary: See inside O.o cause its way too long -hides-
1. Prologue

Disclaimer:  
  
As usual, I own no one but my own characters, all others and the dragonlance world belong to the people  
at TSR, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman and all the other Dragonlance authors. Rater R just because I said  
so, my mind is very violent and this will be too... lotsa gore. But rated R for violence, course   
language, implied dialog, etc etc. Anyways, enjoy, please keep all limbs inside the vehical at all  
times.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The beloved Summary -gag- this is going to be horrible:  
  
The return of Chaos, Father of All and of Nothing is upon the land of Krynn once more. But engenuis,  
he failed to enter himself, but draws a pawn instead. Dracos Ravenshadow, once one of the most corrupt   
of the Dark Queen's minions, has turned to the aid of Chaos. Minions are massing for an assult, an   
assult on the times past. It could be over in a night, it could be over after a century of danger,   
dismay and suffering.   
  
A crystal is all that can hold the balance, and allow none to tamper with the time lines. Chaos, through   
Dracos, has captured this precious and priceless gem. Takhisis, Paladine and Gilean have inlisted the   
aid of a band of rangers, calling themselves the Shadow Company. A prophecy they are told, and they   
must hold true to it, battling through time itself in order to recapture the Crystal of Ages and turn   
the tide against Chaos and destroying Dracos.  
  
Time itself shall be the battlefield, between those minions of Chaos and the band of Rangers. 


	2. Chapter 1

The candle light flickered in the rain lashed windows. Kari looked around the small tavern, exhausted even if it was only after sunset. Though it did not seem that way. To most of the subdued patrons, it seemed well into the night. Kari sighed, lifting a tray, walked out to one of the patrons as he signaled for more ale.   
  
It had been a long five months, and all of the inhabitants of the village felt it's weight. No one looked up as three figures entered, all cloaked heavily. It wasn't uncommon for outsiders to retreat to the town, mostly farmers from the farming plains and valleys, and perhaps a few travelers from another, less fortunate town.   
  
The strangers settled into a dark table, their soaked cloaks still wrapped tightly around their bodies. Kari waved, and called that she'd be right over. One of the figures glanced sharply at the other two, and the broader of the trio signed that they needed not a maid. Kari blinked, this an unusual turn of events, but nodded none-the-less at the chance to relax a tiny bit. Settling herself behind the bar, with what was once a clean, but now ale-stained rag, and began to rub down the previously proud oak finish.   
  
CJ glanced over the room from within the shadows of her dripping cloak. Raven pulled out a small pouch, fingering the contents. "So far no signs... I think things might be starting to look up." She said quietly, while Kayne nodded. "Don't think things are looking up quite yet, it's only after dark now." CJ replied, turning abysmal depths towards her companions.  
  
"I didn't like the looks of this place, and I still don't. Explain to me why we came here?" Kayne asked, pulling away his hood. Shoulder length ebon locks fell forwards, slightly damp and shimmering in the candle light. Raven did much the same, pulling her raven hued hair from the saturated cloak. CJ growled at them, then followed their movements, though left strangely streaked blonde locks hidden within the cloak. Once more, blue depths scanned the room, while Raven returned to counting their coins. Kayne leaned back, relishing in the warmth of the tavern.   
  
Kari looked up from her cleaning, agape at the figures. They looked nothing like she had suspected. They were all human, though their hair was strangely decorated, with colors. Blonde hair was streaked with a strange blue indigo, and only looked it from the back and those stray locks that fell into dark blue eyes. Raven hair was streaked with red, much the same style but complete scarlet locks fell into black depths. The male had a slight bit of this strange decoration, though barely noticeable, for none fell into his face or emerald green eyes. Kari smoothed back her copper locks as Kayne looked at her, and returned her green flecked eyes to the countertop.  
  
Raven glanced sidelong at the male, nudging him in the ribs. "What?" He turned with irritation, rubbing his chest where Raven had nudged him. CJ looked over at them, and emitted a half laugh, half growl. "Settle down. The last thing we need is to call attention to ourselves." she muttered, casting a meaningful eye towards the barmaid, Kari. Both others followed blue depths in their gaze.  
  
Kari, feeling a gaze upon her, glanced up. Green flecked gaze met CJ's blue, locking involuntarily. Raven looked the girl over, while Kayne turned his attention towards the door and other customers. After a bare moment, Kari forced her gaze towards a patron who was, once again, waving for more ale. CJ and Raven looked at each other, shrugging lightly. "Now, onto other, more meaningless matters. What are we doing in the way of food and supplies?" CJ asked, drawing a tiny bit of Kayne's attention from the door at the mention of food. "This place is under the enemy's control. We barely got past those draconian guards." Raven replied, her eyes narrowing.   
  
Kari looked up as a group of men burst through the door, looking quiet drunk already. Instantly, many of the former patrons rose and left upon this groups arrival. The men, rugged, unshaven and filthy, banged on tables, demanding ale. The mercenary soldiers were not the most liked residents of Ridgeview, and stood only above the draconians in favor.  
  
One of the men yelled, and Kari sighed, filling tankards with watered down ale. Setting an emotionless mask on her face, she carried the tankards over to the rogues. It only took two comments and one of them to grab her before Kari slapped the taste out of a grubby mercenary.  
  
CJ smirked, keeping her head down but her eyes on the rogues. Raven shook her head, playing with a silver coin absently. Kayne looked at them openly, a smirk playing with his lips. "I think we have some easy prey." He commented softly, and met Raven's glare with a growing smirk.  
  
One of the soldiers, a man named Kal, noticed Kayne eyeing the group. His beady eyes flicked over the two conversing females, then returned to Kayne. "Can I help you?" Kal slurred, meeting the other man's eyes. Kayne rose from his seat, ignoring CJ's hiss and Raven's oath. "Perhaps you can help yourself. Are you a gambling man?" Kayne's words flowed easily to the other, as well as to the ears of CJ, Raven and Kari.  
  
"What's the game, and name the stakes." Kal replied, his attempt at smoothness coming out as a drunken boast. "I bet that I could beat you in a game of daggers." Kayne caught the velveteen pouch Raven threw to him, tossing it lightly on to Kal.  
  
The rogue's eyes greedily swept over it's contents, then smirked cockily. "You're on. But, " He motioned to his companions, and then nodded to Kayne. "I name the target. And I'd like to raise the stakes a little bit." Kal's eyes flicked to Raven and CJ as the man licked his lips. "Throw in everything you got. I mean everything." Kal laughed, while Kayne nodded and stretched out his hand. Kal took it and pointed at the target, flicking a dagger out of his filthy sleeve. CJ and Raven groaned, looking at the target , which was the tray Kari still held, obliviously to her dangers.   
  
Kayne aimed, prolonging the tension before flicking his wrist forward with a deft movement. "Duck!" both Raven and CJ yelled in unison. Kari looked up and held the tray, as the sharp metal struck the wood of the tray with a splintering crack. Kari sunk to the ground, hidden from view by the tall bar counter. Both CJ and Raven sprung to their feet, Raven stepping towards Kayne while CJ jumped over the counter, landing softly beside Kari.   
  
Kari stared at CJ, now viewing the other female as she once had thought. Two swords hung upon a sword belt, with a dagger frog, complete with dagger, as attached to the right side of the belt. Leather bracers adorned both CJ's wrists, and black metal bracers encased each lower leg. All black garb of leather breeches and a loose shirt, the sleeves having been slit for a better range of motion, made Kari back away from the female.   
  
CJ blinked, then fell forwards onto her knees silently, gaze cast upwards while listening. Heated words met both their ears, and Kari relaxed slightly, though tensed almost immediately at the sway of the conversation.  
  
"You cheated!" Kal roared, sending tankards and ale flying across the tavern. All of the rogues had risen from their respected places, though rather unsteadily. Raven took a place beside Kayne, both looking calm. Kari moved to stand, though her movement was halted by a slender hand on her arm. Emerald eyes swept back to the other female, who had risen enough to maintain a hidden position behind the counter. A single digit was placed against crimson lips for silence, while inhumanly keen ears listened to the conversation.  
  
"I did nothing of the sort." Kayne replied smoothly, which turned the mercenary's face a deeper shade of scarlet. "Yes you did! Admit it theif!" At the sound of ringing steel, CJ rose to full height, glancing at the door then back at the two arguing groups. Kari stood beside the blonde female, frightened eyes wide.   
  
The door to the tavern burst open, and a small, impish figure strode in. Mousy brown hair, held tightly in a topknot, fell over slim shoulders. Intellegent and curious eyes swept over the tavern. Delbin Thistleknot smiled, promptly settling himself at a table and motioning for a barmaid. Kayne's eyes never left Kal, who had turned with his friends to gawk at the kender, while Raven surpressed a smile. CJ shook her head, eyes grinning at the kender, for the smaller race where rarely seen this far east, in what was now a land of broken desert, sickly glades and isolation.  
  
Delbin looked over the factions, over to Kari and CJ. His eyes widened in excitement, and a gentle groan emitted from Raven. CJ growled, eyes hardening to a midnight stone. Kal sent a cunning look at one of his companions, then drew a dagger from a hidden wrist bracer. Kayne, not caught unaware of the foul tricks, grasped the other's sword arm and raised a knee to the man's lower torso.   
  
Raven unarmed another of the rogues before he could bring his dagger into Kayne's back. CJ lept over the bar, drawing forth a long, cruel looking blade. A high pitched squeal of 'Rangers' filled the tavern, now empty of most patrons. But those that still remained, both interested and uninterested in the heated argument, looked up at the word.  
  
"Damn it." Raven muttered, black eyes shifting around the tavern for an escape route. CJ had already noted one, the most obvious and perhaps dangerous. Five of the mercenaries stood between the rangers and the door. She ducked under one's poorly aimed swing, dropping to a knee and rolling beneath an unoccupied table. Regaining her feet in a crouched position, midnight blue depths caught sight of the kender, throwing any object near at hand in the rogues direction.   
  
The first thought that flashed through CJ's quick-tempered mind was to throttle the impish creature which had sunk them into more trouble and danger than they had already managed. Beating back the thought, she grabbed Delbin by the collor and shoved him roughly out the door. Raven freed herself from a man's grasp, the snap of his breaking arm echoing through the wooden building. Kayne already made for the door, ducking the rogues' drunken blows.  
  
Raven glanced down the street row, already the draconian guards had been called. Swearing softly, she motioned for Kayne and slipped into a dark alleyway. Only after did she realize CJ had remained in the tavern.   
  
Delbin watched with interest the guards that hurried down the street towards the tavern, and back to the fighting ranger still within the structure. CJ dodged fists and crude weapons, constructed of table and chair legs. Already her escape was blocked, and only the semi-large window remained as an option. Gathering her breath, CJ glanced over at Kari, eyes pleading the other to help.   
  
Kari, whom had been frozen in place by the fight, instantly caught the other female's eyes. Hearing the unspoken cry, she suddenly bolted towards the door, drawing the rogues attention from CJ. As they turned their backs, CJ threw her body through the glass pane, shattering it upon impact.   
  
Landing amongst glass, mud, dirt and loose cobbled stones, she rolled on one shoulder until coming to a crouched position. Head snapping up at the rhythmic thud of marching feet amongst the pounding rain and howling winds, she crept backwards. Twisting, she grabbed ahold of Delbin, who had found the female almost on top of him when she had burst through the window, and dragged the bright eyed kender into the alley after Raven and Kayen. 


End file.
